David Mauger

About David Mauger

As a digital leader with over a decade of experience shaping cutting-edge RNA therapeutics platforms at pioneering companies like Moderna Therapeutics, Arrakis Therapeutics, and now Ascidian Therapeutics, I\'ve consistently driven innovation. I was the first bioinformatic scientist at Moderna, where I established the scientific and computational groundwork for engineering potent and specific mRNA molecules—a cornerstone of their leading mRNA platform. At Arrakis, I translated deep scientific insights into pioneering RNA-targeted small molecule development, leading computational teams and leveraging advanced computational biology and machine learning. Today, at Ascidian Therapeutics, I lead data science, applying my expertise in RNA biology and computational tools to advance RNA exon editing technologies. My team accelerates the development of RNA exon editors by empowering researchers to efficiently design, test, and analyze molecules, enabling data-driven decisions.My industry success is built on a strong academic foundation. I earned a Ph.D. from Duke University, focusing on alternative splicing in cancer progression, and conducted postdoctoral research at the American Cancer Society, developing technologies to elucidate RNA virus structures and their role in human disease.I excel at building and empowering high-caliber teams, creating a computational science department that bridged computational and bench science. My approach drives enterprise-level digital transformations, establishing new functions in Research Informatics and ML/AI, optimizing multimillion-dollar budgets, and equipping bench scientists with accessible analytical tools.

Experience

1. Senior Director Data Science

   Ascidian Therapeutics

   Jun 2024 — Present

   At Ascidian Therapeutics, I lead data science, applying my expertise in RNA biology and computational tools to advance RNA exon editing technologies. My team is responsible for managing custom research informatics apps and infrastructure as well as supporting requests for computational biology tools and analyses. We accelerate the development of RNA exon editors by empowering researchers to efficiently design, test, and analyze molecules, enabling data-driven decisions.

Education

• Duke University

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

  2001 — 2007

• University of Pittsburgh

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemistry and Biology

  1997 — 2001

Skills

• Research
• Perl Scripting
• Rnai
• Cell Culture
• Genetics
• Chemiluminescence
• Dna Sequencing
• Protein Purification
• Fluorescence
• Hplc
• Next-Gen Dna Sequencing
• Co-Ip
• Molecular Cloning
• Pcr
• Western Blotting
• Site-Directed Mutagenesis
• Northern Blotting
• Gel Electrophoresis